October 21, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Today, I would like to consider a little about the Sacrament of Penance with you. Each Monday in this parish where I live and work, we have afternoon confessions. We still speak of this sacrament as confession. Today I am thinking about the priest confessor’s place in the celebration of the Sacrament of Penance. The priest is the celebrant of this sacrament; we, priests, hear confessions.

Let me first share with you my experience celebrating the Sacrament of Penance. I remember it well. It was shortly after my priestly ordination. I was informed of my first parish assignment. My new pastor notified me when I should plan to move in; he also told me that my first assignment as a priest would be the Saturday afternoon confessions. As a seminarian, I had studied a great deal about the Sacrament of Penance. I had even practiced during the class the whole service of a personal confession. I must admit I was rather anxious about a real confession. As I drove to my new parish, I prayed for help from the Lord and asked God to make me compassionate like Jesus. Ever since that day, I always take time before hearing confessions to pray asking God’s help to prepare me properly.

One of the first thing I learned about confessions was that my first goal as a priest hearing confession is to make certain that each person knows that this sacrament begins with Jesus, both for the person who is going to confession and for me. That individual must understand that the forgiveness of sin begins and comes from the mercy and forgiveness of the loving Lord Jesus. So, I tell each person to begin with gratitude to our God is so good to each of us, especially for His constant love and compassion and forgiveness. We must be grateful. God loves and knows each of us so much.

I want to remind you that when a penitent enters a confessional, they are making a loud and definite declaration to God, to me, the priest, to all who might notice that they are a repentant sinner seeking forgiveness. They want to change all that must be changed in their life as they seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Even if they were to say nothing at all, they have announced by coming here that they are repentant and they trust in God’s forgiveness.

I pray that as a priest confessor I can gently help each penitent to change and I can encourage them to live even better – to live well in the example of Our Savior, Jesus. So, I ask them to say the Act of Contrition; these are meaningful words, and they should be well understood. At the end of the sacrament, I ask each penitent to go to the front of the Church near the sanctuary and quietly spend time with the Lord Jesus. Many parishes place the Blessed Sacrament in exposition of the altar during the time of confessions.

I also want each person to realize what I pray over them in the words of absolution – the prayer that we, priests, pray seeking God’s absolution for this person. This prayer proclaims the forgiveness of Our Lord Jesus. So, now, please listen carefully to the words of absolution for the Sacrament of Penance.

“God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins, through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace; and I absolve you from your sins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”